Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will propose a new presidential election within six months, under a peace plan, he will put forward as a counter-offer to a US proposal that he rejects, two senior government officials told Reuters.&nbsp;

Ghani will unveil his proposal at an international gathering in Turkey next month, signalling his refusal to accept Washington's plan for his elected government to be replaced by an interim administration, the officials said.&nbsp;

Washington, which agreed last year to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by May 1 after nearly two decades, is pressing for a peace deal to end war between the government and the Taliban. Talks between the Afghan sides in Qatar have stalled.&nbsp;

US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been circulating a proposal, which would replace the Kabul government with an interim administration. But Ghani has voiced vehement opposition to any solution that requires his government to step aside for unelected successors.&nbsp;

"The counterproposal, which we are going to present at the Istanbul meeting, would be to call for early presidential elections if the Taliban agree on a ceasefire," one senior government official said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

Another Afghan government official said, "The president would never agree to step aside and any future government should be formed through democratic process, not a political deal."&nbsp;

A third senior official also said Ghani's proposal would include possible early elections, although he did not specify the exact time frame for the vote. The third official said Ghani had already shared his roadmap with Khalilzad.&nbsp;

With just weeks left before a deadline it agreed with Taliban last year to end the longest war in US history, Washington is seeking regional backing for its approach to push the Kabul government and insurgents to share power.&nbsp;

But diplomats and foreign officials have said it will be difficult to move forward with the US plans without Ghani's support.&nbsp;

During a visit to the region, which included stops in Doha and Islamabad, Khalilzad pushed for a conference to be hosted by Turkey with involvement from the United Nations next month.&nbsp;

The Afghan officials said that as part of Ghani's counter-proposal, his government would ask the UN to closely observe the new election to ensure it is accepted by all sides.&nbsp;

A presidential palace spokesman declined to comment.&nbsp;

Peace negotiations between the Afghan government and insurgent Taliban in Qatar's capital Doha have made little progress, while violence has increased.&nbsp;

The Taliban, which is fighting the foreign-backed government since being ousted from power by Afghan opponents and US air strikes in late 2001, have so far rejected a ceasefire and said they would not directly join an interim government.&nbsp;

Ghani was sworn in as president for a second five-year term in March last year after a disputed presidential election.&nbsp;

The new US administration led by President Joe Biden is reviewing its plans before May 1, the deadline agreed last year under the Donald Trump administration for the last 2,500 US troops to leave Afghanistan. Biden told broadcaster ABC last week that it would be 'tough' to meet the deadline.&nbsp;

The Taliban say there will be consequences if the United States does not meet the deadline to pull out.&nbsp;

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will propose a new presidential election within six months, under a peace plan, he will put forward as a counter-offer to a US proposal that he rejects, two senior government officials told Reuters.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will propose a new presidential election within six months, under a peace plan, he will put forward as a counter-offer to a US proposal that he rejects, two senior government officials told Reuters. Ghani will unveil his proposal at an international gathering in Turkey next month, signalling his refusal to accept Washington's plan for his elected government to be replaced by an interim administration, the officials said. Washington, which agreed last year to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by May 1 after nearly two decades, is pressing for a peace deal to end war between the government and the Taliban. Talks between the Afghan sides in Qatar have stalled. US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been circulating a proposal, which would replace the Kabul government with an interim administration. But Ghani has voiced vehement opposition to any solution that requires his government to step aside for unelected successors. "The counterproposal, which we are going to present at the Istanbul meeting, would be to call for early presidential elections if the Taliban agree on a ceasefire," one senior government official said on condition of anonymity. Another Afghan government official said, "The president would never agree to step aside and any future government should be formed through democratic process, not a political deal." A third senior official also said Ghani's proposal would include possible early elections, although he did not specify the exact time frame for the vote. The third official said Ghani had already shared his roadmap with Khalilzad. With just weeks left before a deadline it agreed with Taliban last year to end the longest war in US history, Washington is seeking regional backing for its approach to push the Kabul government and insurgents to share power. But diplomats and foreign officials have said it will be difficult to move forward with the US plans without Ghani's support. During a visit to the region, which included stops in Doha and Islamabad, Khalilzad pushed for a conference to be hosted by Turkey with involvement from the United Nations next month. The Afghan officials said that as part of Ghani's counter-proposal, his government would ask the UN to closely observe the new election to ensure it is accepted by all sides. A presidential palace spokesman declined to comment. Peace negotiations between the Afghan government and insurgent Taliban in Qatar's capital Doha have made little progress, while violence has increased. The Taliban, which is fighting the foreign-backed government since being ousted from power by Afghan opponents and US air strikes in late 2001, have so far rejected a ceasefire and said they would not directly join an interim government. Ghani was sworn in as president for a second five-year term in March last year after a disputed presidential election. The new US administration led by President Joe Biden is reviewing its plans before May 1, the deadline agreed last year under the Donald Trump administration for the last 2,500 US troops to leave Afghanistan. Biden told broadcaster ABC last week that it would be 'tough' to meet the deadline. The Taliban say there will be consequences if the United States does not meet the deadline to pull out.

Rejecting US peace plan, Afghan president to offer election in six months 

US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin was in Kabul over the weekend. He became the first member of the Biden cabinet to visit war-torn Afghanistan. This was a surprise trip. But the questions posed to Austin by journalists came as no surprise. They wanted to know if America will withdraw from Afghanistan.

As per America's agreement with the Taliban, American forces should withdraw from Afghanistan on 1st of May. That's the deal that the Trump administration had agreed to. Until now, Team Biden has kept its cards close to its chest. In Afghanistan, Austin said it was up to his boss Joe Biden to decide when the American troops will leave.&nbsp;

The US President has said that May 1 withdrawal would be tough. The Biden administration has tried to kick start the withdrawal process again. Earlier this month, the United States had called for a meeting of all stakeholders in Turkey. At the same time it is pushing for a wider, UN-led dialogue.

The US wants India involved.&nbsp;

Reportedly, Defence Secretary Austin discussed Afghanistan with the Indian leadership.

On Monday, Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar arrived in New Delhi.

It is a three-day working visit during which the Afghan foreign minister is expected to discuss the peace process with the Indian leadership. While the Biden administration might extend the deadline for withdrawal, &nbsp;It does look eager to withdraw. And going by all the signs, it looks like Washington wants New Delhi to be a part of the solution.

US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin was in Kabul over the weekend. He became the first member of the Biden cabinet to visit war-torn Afghanistan. This was a surprise trip.

US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin was in Kabul over the weekend. He became the first member of the Biden cabinet to visit war-torn Afghanistan. This was a surprise trip. But the questions posed to Austin by journalists came as no surprise. They wanted to know if America will withdraw from Afghanistan. As per America's agreement with the Taliban, American forces should withdraw from Afghanistan on 1st of May. That's the deal that the Trump administration had agreed to. Until now, Team Biden has kept its cards close to its chest. In Afghanistan, Austin said it was up to his boss Joe Biden to decide when the American troops will leave. The US President has said that May 1 withdrawal would be tough. The Biden administration has tried to kick start the withdrawal process again. Earlier this month, the United States had called for a meeting of all stakeholders in Turkey. At the same time it is pushing for a wider, UN-led dialogue. The US wants India involved. Reportedly, Defence Secretary Austin discussed Afghanistan with the Indian leadership. On Monday, Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar arrived in New Delhi. It is a three-day working visit during which the Afghan foreign minister is expected to discuss the peace process with the Indian leadership. While the Biden administration might extend the deadline for withdrawal, It does look eager to withdraw. And going by all the signs, it looks like Washington wants New Delhi to be a part of the solution.

US wants Indian involvement in Afghanistan

The US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> has warned that the country will not be able to withdraw all of the US troops from Afghanistan by May 01, which was part of a deal with the Taliban.

However, the Taliban has retaliated by asserting that the US troops must leave Afghanistan by the decided deadline or face the "consequences".

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As per an agreement signed in Qatar with the Taliban, the US is supposed to completely withdraw all of its troops from Afghanistan within six weeks.

On Wednesday, however, Biden cast a cloud of doubt on this by saying that a complete withdrawal "could happen, but it is tough".

"I'm in the process of making that decision now as to when they'll leave," Biden said.

Also watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-to-decide-on-2024-presidential-run-371136" hreflang="en">Donald Trump to decide on 2024 Presidential run</a>

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Directly attacking the former US President, Donald Trump, Biden said, "The fact is that that was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the president, the former president worked out."

"The failure to have an orderly transition from the Trump presidency to my presidency, which usually takes place from election day to the time he's sworn in, has cost me time and consequences," Biden added. "That's one of the issues we're talking about now, in terms of Afghanistan."

This statement by Biden has not been well received by the Taliban. "The Americans should end their occupation in accordance with the Doha deal and fully withdraw their forces from Afghanistan by May 1," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP.

He warned the US of 'consequences' if the deal is not respected. "If they don't do it, be it for any reason and pretexts, then they will be responsible for the consequences," he added.

The US President Joe Biden has warned that the country will not be able to withdraw all of the US troops from Afghanistan by May 01, which was part of a deal with the Taliban.

The US President Joe Biden has warned that the country will not be able to withdraw all of the US troops from Afghanistan by May 01, which was part of a deal with the Taliban. However, the Taliban has retaliated by asserting that the US troops must leave Afghanistan by the decided deadline or face the "consequences". Also read | Russia dismisses US reports on poll meddling as Biden doubles down on allegations As per an agreement signed in Qatar with the Taliban, the US is supposed to completely withdraw all of its troops from Afghanistan within six weeks. On Wednesday, however, Biden cast a cloud of doubt on this by saying that a complete withdrawal "could happen, but it is tough". "I'm in the process of making that decision now as to when they'll leave," Biden said. Also watch | Donald Trump to decide on 2024 Presidential run Directly attacking the former US President, Donald Trump, Biden said, "The fact is that that was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the president, the former president worked out." "The failure to have an orderly transition from the Trump presidency to my presidency, which usually takes place from election day to the time he's sworn in, has cost me time and consequences," Biden added. "That's one of the issues we're talking about now, in terms of Afghanistan." This statement by Biden has not been well received by the Taliban. "The Americans should end their occupation in accordance with the Doha deal and fully withdraw their forces from Afghanistan by May 1," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP. He warned the US of 'consequences' if the deal is not respected. "If they don't do it, be it for any reason and pretexts, then they will be responsible for the consequences," he added.

Biden says US troops withdrawal 'tough' by May 1; Taliban warns of 'consequences'

The&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;will send a 10-person delegation to an Afghanistan peace meeting hosted by Russia this week, the insurgent group's spokesman said on Monday.

The delegation will be led by Mullah Baradar, the&nbsp;Taliban's deputy leader and chief negotiator in US-brokered talks in Qatar, spokesman Mohammad Naeem said in a statement.

The Russian-backed conference is scheduled for March 18, one of a number of diplomatic initiatives to attempt to jumpstart the stalling Afghan peace process. The Afghan government confirmed on Saturday it would participate in the conference.

The U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has this month been travelling around the region trying to shake up the peace process and spark progress as a troop withdrawal deadline nears and Washington reviews its policy for Afghanistan.

A spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Khalilzad had met with Ghani in Kabul on Monday and updated him on his recent trips. Khalilzad had previously been in Doha, where negotiations are taking place, and also visited Pakistan.

Khalilzad has also proposed a meeting among main players to be held in Turkey with heavy United Nations involvement next month. The Afghan government has said they would take part in that conference, but the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;has not yet confirmed whether they would attend.

It comes at a crunch time for the peace process as a May 1 deadline for foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan looms. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, which is reviewing arrangements including a deal with the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;made under his predecessor, Donald Trump, has said all options remain on the table.

Peace talks have failed to gain momentum since starting in September with both sides yet to agree on an agenda, while violence has risen.

On Monday, a blast tore through a minivan in Kabul, according to police who said 15 civilians were injured. It was not clear who was behind the blast.

The Taliban will send a 10-person delegation to an Afghanistan peace meeting hosted by Russia this week, the insurgent group's spokesman said on Monday. The delegation will be led by Mullah Baradar, the Taliban's deputy leader and chief negotiator in US-brokered talks in Qatar, spokesman Mohammad Naeem said in a statement.

The Taliban will send a 10-person delegation to an Afghanistan peace meeting hosted by Russia this week, the insurgent group's spokesman said on Monday. The delegation will be led by Mullah Baradar, the Taliban's deputy leader and chief negotiator in US-brokered talks in Qatar, spokesman Mohammad Naeem said in a statement. The Russian-backed conference is scheduled for March 18, one of a number of diplomatic initiatives to attempt to jumpstart the stalling Afghan peace process. The Afghan government confirmed on Saturday it would participate in the conference. The U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has this month been travelling around the region trying to shake up the peace process and spark progress as a troop withdrawal deadline nears and Washington reviews its policy for Afghanistan. A spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Khalilzad had met with Ghani in Kabul on Monday and updated him on his recent trips. Khalilzad had previously been in Doha, where negotiations are taking place, and also visited Pakistan. Khalilzad has also proposed a meeting among main players to be held in Turkey with heavy United Nations involvement next month. The Afghan government has said they would take part in that conference, but the Taliban has not yet confirmed whether they would attend. It comes at a crunch time for the peace process as a May 1 deadline for foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan looms. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, which is reviewing arrangements including a deal with the Taliban made under his predecessor, Donald Trump, has said all options remain on the table. Peace talks have failed to gain momentum since starting in September with both sides yet to agree on an agenda, while violence has risen. On Monday, a blast tore through a minivan in Kabul, according to police who said 15 civilians were injured. It was not clear who was behind the blast.

Taliban to send delegation to Afghanistan peace meeting hosted by Russia

Senior members of the Taliban will attend talks with the Kabul government in Moscow this week to discuss the future of war-ravaged Afghanistan, the insurgent group said on Monday.

The two sides are due to meet at Russia's invitation ahead of a May deadline for US President Joe Biden to decide whether to end the two-decade military involvement in the ravaged country.

Washington has encouraged the Afghan leadership to work towards establishing an "inclusive" government and peace accord amid fears of rapid Taliban gains once US troops leave.

"A high-level delegation of 10 members of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, led by (Taliban co-founder) Mullah Baradar Akhund... will attend the meeting held in Moscow," tweeted Mohammad Naeem, spokesman for the Taliban office in Qatar.

The United States, despite tensions with Russia, has welcomed Moscow's role and also consulted its other rival China as diplomacy steps up.

Biden is wrapping up a review on whether to stick to an agreement with the Taliban negotiated by his predecessor Donald Trump who wanted to pull the last US troops from Afghanistan by May.

The Biden administration has signalled that it wants to take a hard look at Trump's deal and its repercussions for Afghanistan and regional stability.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote a letter to Afghan leaders encouraging them to consider a "new, inclusive government".

He also proposed that talks take place within weeks in Turkey to seal a comprehensive peace deal with the Taliban.

Turkey plans to host an Afghan peace conference in Istanbul in April, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu&nbsp;said last week.

The Russian and Turkish initiatives will run alongside the Qatar-hosted talks between the Afghan government in Doha which have been ongoing with long pauses since September 2020. &nbsp;

Cavusoglu has signalled that he did not necessarily expect the Istanbul meeting to produce an immediate breakthrough.

Senior members of the Taliban will attend talks with the Kabul government in Moscow this week to discuss the future of war-ravaged Afghanistan, the insurgent group said on Monday.

Senior members of the Taliban will attend talks with the Kabul government in Moscow this week to discuss the future of war-ravaged Afghanistan, the insurgent group said on Monday. The two sides are due to meet at Russia's invitation ahead of a May deadline for US President Joe Biden to decide whether to end the two-decade military involvement in the ravaged country. Washington has encouraged the Afghan leadership to work towards establishing an "inclusive" government and peace accord amid fears of rapid Taliban gains once US troops leave. "A high-level delegation of 10 members of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, led by (Taliban co-founder) Mullah Baradar Akhund... will attend the meeting held in Moscow," tweeted Mohammad Naeem, spokesman for the Taliban office in Qatar. The United States, despite tensions with Russia, has welcomed Moscow's role and also consulted its other rival China as diplomacy steps up. Biden is wrapping up a review on whether to stick to an agreement with the Taliban negotiated by his predecessor Donald Trump who wanted to pull the last US troops from Afghanistan by May. The Biden administration has signalled that it wants to take a hard look at Trump's deal and its repercussions for Afghanistan and regional stability. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote a letter to Afghan leaders encouraging them to consider a "new, inclusive government". He also proposed that talks take place within weeks in Turkey to seal a comprehensive peace deal with the Taliban. Turkey plans to host an Afghan peace conference in Istanbul in April, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last week. The Russian and Turkish initiatives will run alongside the Qatar-hosted talks between the Afghan government in Doha which have been ongoing with long pauses since September 2020. Cavusoglu has signalled that he did not necessarily expect the Istanbul meeting to produce an immediate breakthrough.

Taliban to attend Afghan peace talks in Moscow

The Pakistani Taliban has threatened women's rights activists who organised demonstrations to mark International Women's Day in the country, accusing them of blasphemy and obscenity.

The Taliban's Friday statement followed a flurry of falsified images and video clips on social media that suggested participants in the March 8 protests had insulted Islam.

The women have, however, strongly denied the allegations.

"We want to send a message to those organisations who are actively spreading obscenity and vulgarity in our beloved Pakistan," the statement said, addressing the marchers. "Fix your ways, there are still many young Muslims here who know how to protect Islam and and the boundaries set by Allah."

Islamist groups held demonstrations on Friday in several Pakistani cities to demand that the government prosecute the march organisers for blasphemy, and they threatened vigilante action.

Blasphemy carries the death penalty in Pakistan. Although Pakistan has never carried out such a sentence, vigilantes often kill suspects before they are brought before a court.

Messages spread on social media, in some cases shared by journalists and politicians with millions of followers, included false allegations that the French flag was waved at the Women's Day march, while doctored video and audio showed participants chanting slogans viewed as blasphemous against Islamic figures.

"Each and every one of these allegations is completely false and part of a malicious campaign to silence women from speaking out about their rights," the march organisers said in a statement.

The Women's Democratic Front, a leftist group founded in 2018 and one of the organisers of the march, said their flag - with red, white and purple stripes - had been misrepresented as the French flag, which has blue, white and red stripes.

(with inputs from agencies)

The Pakistani Taliban has threatened women's rights activists who organised demonstrations to mark International Women's Day in the country, accusing them of blasphemy and obscenity.

The Pakistani Taliban has threatened women's rights activists who organised demonstrations to mark International Women's Day in the country, accusing them of blasphemy and obscenity. The Taliban's Friday statement followed a flurry of falsified images and video clips on social media that suggested participants in the March 8 protests had insulted Islam. The women have, however, strongly denied the allegations. "We want to send a message to those organisations who are actively spreading obscenity and vulgarity in our beloved Pakistan," the statement said, addressing the marchers. "Fix your ways, there are still many young Muslims here who know how to protect Islam and and the boundaries set by Allah." Islamist groups held demonstrations on Friday in several Pakistani cities to demand that the government prosecute the march organisers for blasphemy, and they threatened vigilante action. Blasphemy carries the death penalty in Pakistan. Although Pakistan has never carried out such a sentence, vigilantes often kill suspects before they are brought before a court. Messages spread on social media, in some cases shared by journalists and politicians with millions of followers, included false allegations that the French flag was waved at the Women's Day march, while doctored video and audio showed participants chanting slogans viewed as blasphemous against Islamic figures. "Each and every one of these allegations is completely false and part of a malicious campaign to silence women from speaking out about their rights," the march organisers said in a statement. The Women's Democratic Front, a leftist group founded in 2018 and one of the organisers of the march, said their flag - with red, white and purple stripes - had been misrepresented as the French flag, which has blue, white and red stripes. (with inputs from agencies)

Pakistani Taliban threaten organisers of Women's Day March

Zarifa Ghafari, one of Afghanistan's first female mayors, has expressed shock at the decision by the country's education ministry to ban girls aged 12 and above from singing the national anthem or other songs, equating the move with opening gates for the Taliban.

"I am shocked and amazed on this decision by the Afghanistan Ministry of Education. I don't know how it is possible for the Ministry to take such a decision especially in the case of women. This kind of decision means opening the gate for Taliban," Ghafari, mayor of Maidan Shahr, capital city of the Wardak province, told WION.

The Ministry of Education on Wednesday announced to the ban on girls aged 12 and above from singing the national anthem or other songs. However, girls will be allowed to sing at women-only events. All government and private schools have to implement this ban.

The announcement received a backlash among social media users.

"People are making fun of it on Twitter and Facebook. How can you decide what a woman wants? If a girl wants to sing the national anthem, how can you stop them? Who are you to stop them?," said the 29-year-old human rights activist in an exclusive interview to WION.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-afghanistan-bans-girls-from-singing-in-public-369802&lt;div class=&quot;videoWrapper trancodeVideo&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe src=&quot;https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-afghanistan-bans-girls-from-singing-in-public-369802/embed&quot; width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;350&quot; style=&quot;width:100%;max-width:560px;&quot; class=&quot;includeVideo&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; autoplay=1 allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;">WATCH |</a>

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This is not the first time that the education ministry has come under fire. The country's Education Minister Rangina Hamidi last year had sought to shift school classes from one to three to mosques, stating it would “strengthen the Islamic identity of the students,” and bring Afghanistan’s religious schools, or madrassas, into the mainstream.

Referring to this, Zafari said, "First we had an announcement by the ministry to shift some schools inside mosques. With these mosques and maulvi, we know how the education will be. And now this amazing announcement."

"National anthem is a thing that I feel every child, every girl, every woman, every boy, every man needs to know. I don't know how they (Ministry of Education) can think and form these decisions," she added.

Zafari, whose father was killed and has survived several attempts on her own life for bringing reforms in the province where Taliban has a strong influence, said the government should work towards empowering&nbsp; women instead of passing such orders which will add to their oppression.

"For upcoming generation, it is important to have an education system which is more qualified...and most importantly, there should be no gender extremism in it. This way, we will be able to empower women&nbsp;who are able to come out and gain education," she said.

Zafari, one of the youngest and first female mayors in the country, added , "As a free human being, girls should have the right to choose what they love and want. No rules should be made to stop them from doing whatever they love. Rules, laws and policies are formed by the government for the betterment of its people. But this law is forcing women to stop."

"When people are thinking of living at Mars, Afghanistan is rolling backwards. I feel like we are in 1919 because whatever is happening here is worse than it was in the past. Situation in Afghanistan today is very grim. There is no guarantee what will happen today or in future. I wish things would get better&nbsp;so that at least my sister could have a better future than me," she said.

Zafari urged the President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani to review the order.

"I will wish his excellency first lady and Mr President himself look into this more wisely, as it takes a lot of courage for women to step out and risk everything like me. Not many women can pay the cost I paid including my father's murder by the Taliban."

Zarifa Ghafari, one of Afghanistan's first female mayors, has expressed shock at the decision by the country's education ministry to ban girls aged 12 and above from singing the national anthem or other songs, equating the move with opening gates for the Taliban.

Zarifa Ghafari, one of Afghanistan's first female mayors, has expressed shock at the decision by the country's education ministry to ban girls aged 12 and above from singing the national anthem or other songs, equating the move with opening gates for the Taliban. "I am shocked and amazed on this decision by the Afghanistan Ministry of Education. I don't know how it is possible for the Ministry to take such a decision especially in the case of women. This kind of decision means opening the gate for Taliban," Ghafari, mayor of Maidan Shahr, capital city of the Wardak province, told WION. The Ministry of Education on Wednesday announced to the ban on girls aged 12 and above from singing the national anthem or other songs. However, girls will be allowed to sing at women-only events. All government and private schools have to implement this ban. The announcement received a backlash among social media users. "People are making fun of it on Twitter and Facebook. How can you decide what a woman wants? If a girl wants to sing the national anthem, how can you stop them? Who are you to stop them?," said the 29-year-old human rights activist in an exclusive interview to WION. WATCH | This is not the first time that the education ministry has come under fire. The country's Education Minister Rangina Hamidi last year had sought to shift school classes from one to three to mosques, stating it would “strengthen the Islamic identity of the students,” and bring Afghanistan’s religious schools, or madrassas, into the mainstream. Referring to this, Zafari said, "First we had an announcement by the ministry to shift some schools inside mosques. With these mosques and maulvi, we know how the education will be. And now this amazing announcement." "National anthem is a thing that I feel every child, every girl, every woman, every boy, every man needs to know. I don't know how they (Ministry of Education) can think and form these decisions," she added. Zafari, whose father was killed and has survived several attempts on her own life for bringing reforms in the province where Taliban has a strong influence, said the government should work towards empowering women instead of passing such orders which will add to their oppression. "For upcoming generation, it is important to have an education system which is more qualified...and most importantly, there should be no gender extremism in it. This way, we will be able to empower women who are able to come out and gain education," she said. Zafari, one of the youngest and first female mayors in the country, added , "As a free human being, girls should have the right to choose what they love and want. No rules should be made to stop them from doing whatever they love. Rules, laws and policies are formed by the government for the betterment of its people. But this law is forcing women to stop." "When people are thinking of living at Mars, Afghanistan is rolling backwards. I feel like we are in 1919 because whatever is happening here is worse than it was in the past. Situation in Afghanistan today is very grim. There is no guarantee what will happen today or in future. I wish things would get better so that at least my sister could have a better future than me," she said. Zafari urged the President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani to review the order. "I will wish his excellency first lady and Mr President himself look into this more wisely, as it takes a lot of courage for women to step out and risk everything like me. Not many women can pay the cost I paid including my father's murder by the Taliban."

Afghanistan opened gates for Taliban: Mayor hits out at ban on girls' public singing

Zarifa Ghafari, one of Afghanistan's first female mayors, has expressed shock at the decision by the country's education ministry to ban girls aged 12 and above from singing the national anthem or other songs, equating the move with opening gates for the Taliban.

"I am shocked and amazed on this decision by the Afghanistan Ministry of Education. I don't know how it is possible for the Ministry to take such a decision especially in the case of women. This kind of decision means opening the gate for Taliban," Ghafari, mayor of Maidan Shahr, capital city of the Wardak province, told WION.

The Ministry of Education on Wednesday announced to the ban on girls aged 12 and above from singing the national anthem or other songs. However, girls will be allowed to sing at women-only events. All government and private schools have to implement this ban.

The announcement received a backlash among social media users.

"People are making fun of it on Twitter and Facebook. How can you decide what a woman wants? If a girl wants to sing the national anthem, how can you stop them? Who are you to stop them?," said the 29-year-old human rights activist in an exclusive interview to WION.

This is not the first time that the education ministry has come under fire. The country's Education Minister Rangina Hamidi last year had sought to shift school classes from one to three to mosques, stating it would “strengthen the Islamic identity of the students,” and bring Afghanistan’s religious schools, or madrassas, into the mainstream.

Referring to this, Zafari said, "First we had an announcement by the ministry to shift some schools inside mosques. With these mosques and maulvi, we know how the education will be. And now this amazing announcement."

"National anthem is a thing that I feel every child, every girl, every woman, every boy, every man needs to know. I don't know how they (Ministry of Education) can think and form these decisions," she added.

Zafari, whose father was killed and has survived several attempts on her own life for bringing reforms in the province where Taliban has a strong influence, said the government should work towards empowering&nbsp; women instead of passing such orders which will add to their oppression.

"For upcoming generation, it is important to have an education system which is more qualified...and most importantly, there should be no gender extremism in it. This way, we will be able to empower women&nbsp;who are able to come out and gain education," she said.

Zafari, one of the youngest and first female mayors in the country, added , "As a free human being, girls should have the right to choose what they love and want. No rules should be made to stop them from doing whatever they love. Rules, laws and policies are formed by the government for the betterment of its people. But this law is forcing women to stop."

"When people are thinking of living at Mars, Afghanistan is rolling backwards. I feel like we are in 1919 because whatever is happening here is worse than it was in the past. Situation in Afghanistan today is very grim. There is no guarantee what will happen today or in future. I wish things would get better&nbsp;so that at least my sister could have a better future than me," she said.

Zafari urged the President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani to review the order.

"I will wish his excellency first lady and Mr President himself look into this more wisely, as it takes a lot of courage for women to step out and risk everything like me. Not many women can pay the cost I paid including my father's murder by the Taliban."

Zarifa Ghafari, one of Afghanistan's first female mayors, has expressed shock at the decision by the country's education ministry to ban girls aged 12 and above from singing the national anthem or other songs, equating the move with opening gates for the Taliban. "I am shocked and amazed on this decision by the Afghanistan Ministry of Education. I don't know how it is possible for the Ministry to take such a decision especially in the case of women. This kind of decision means opening the gate for Taliban," Ghafari, mayor of Maidan Shahr, capital city of the Wardak province, told WION. The Ministry of Education on Wednesday announced to the ban on girls aged 12 and above from singing the national anthem or other songs. However, girls will be allowed to sing at women-only events. All government and private schools have to implement this ban. The announcement received a backlash among social media users. "People are making fun of it on Twitter and Facebook. How can you decide what a woman wants? If a girl wants to sing the national anthem, how can you stop them? Who are you to stop them?," said the 29-year-old human rights activist in an exclusive interview to WION. This is not the first time that the education ministry has come under fire. The country's Education Minister Rangina Hamidi last year had sought to shift school classes from one to three to mosques, stating it would “strengthen the Islamic identity of the students,” and bring Afghanistan’s religious schools, or madrassas, into the mainstream. Referring to this, Zafari said, "First we had an announcement by the ministry to shift some schools inside mosques. With these mosques and maulvi, we know how the education will be. And now this amazing announcement." "National anthem is a thing that I feel every child, every girl, every woman, every boy, every man needs to know. I don't know how they (Ministry of Education) can think and form these decisions," she added. Zafari, whose father was killed and has survived several attempts on her own life for bringing reforms in the province where Taliban has a strong influence, said the government should work towards empowering women instead of passing such orders which will add to their oppression. "For upcoming generation, it is important to have an education system which is more qualified...and most importantly, there should be no gender extremism in it. This way, we will be able to empower women who are able to come out and gain education," she said. Zafari, one of the youngest and first female mayors in the country, added , "As a free human being, girls should have the right to choose what they love and want. No rules should be made to stop them from doing whatever they love. Rules, laws and policies are formed by the government for the betterment of its people. But this law is forcing women to stop." "When people are thinking of living at Mars, Afghanistan is rolling backwards. I feel like we are in 1919 because whatever is happening here is worse than it was in the past. Situation in Afghanistan today is very grim. There is no guarantee what will happen today or in future. I wish things would get better so that at least my sister could have a better future than me," she said. Zafari urged the President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani to review the order. "I will wish his excellency first lady and Mr President himself look into this more wisely, as it takes a lot of courage for women to step out and risk everything like me. Not many women can pay the cost I paid including my father's murder by the Taliban."

A night with Buddha: How statue of religious leader returned virtually in Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan is called the forever war. Is India prepared to join it? India has been asked to not fight the war but to help end it. The others on the talking table could be Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, the US, the Afghan government and the Taliban.

For four decades now, Afghanistan has been locked in a state of war. A dialogue for peace began last year. People hoped that peace would follow. So far, that hasn't happened. The peace dialogue is stalled. The war is very much on. Violence has only increased. The promise of a ceasefire was never fulfilled.

This brings us to the second proposal. Blinken wants a United Nations-led peace conference for a peace deal in Afghanistan. The US secretary of state wants the UN to convene a foreign ministers'&nbsp;meeting. This will have representatives from Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran and India plus&nbsp;the Afghan government,&nbsp;the Taliban and the US.

With no peace deal yet, there is a growing threat of a 'spring offensive' by the Taliban. Apparently, they could make rapid military gains once the American troops are gone. The US is now making a big push to restart the dialogue for peace.

And Washington wants India's help.

It wants regional powers to have a greater say in the process. At the same time, it wants the Taliban to have a seat at the table.

That's not all, it wants the Taliban to join the government in Afghanistan. So, what is Joe Biden's plan for peace in Afghanistan? And how far is India prepared to go?

Since taking office, Joe Biden and his aides have been conducting a review. They have been assessing the work done by the Trump administration. Over the weekend, Team Biden began taking its first steps towards resuming the dialogue.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote a letter.&nbsp;It was addressed to Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani. A copy of this was shared by a local broadcaster in Afghanistan. This letter offers clues on what America plans to do.

The first move will be to accelerate the peace talks. They went on the backburner after the American presidential election. So the dialogue that began between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban will move ahead. But, they won't be the only ones involved. The dialogue will have more players.&nbsp;

Blinken believes regional powers "share an abiding common interest in a stable Afghanistan."

That's why he wants India involved. Soon after that letter got out, reports said US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, the man leading the negotiations from America, dialled S Jaishankar, India's external affairs minister.

While both sides have not said much about what was discussed, It's safe to assume that Afghan peace process came up.

Why is this significant?

This is a major shift. The Trump administration kept India out. Trump said all India had done was build a library in Afghanistan. He undermined the contribution of regional powers. He was criticised for depending far too much on Pakistan for a peace deal in Afghanistan.

The Biden administration is looking to change that. Secretary of State Blinken is quite direct in his letter to the Afghan president. The US wants India to participate in the peace dialogue. New Delhi should welcome the proposal. It's always better to have a say than to observe from the sidelines.

Now, the most contentious part of America's plan is this one:&nbsp;An interim power-sharing agreement between the Taliban and the elected leaders of Afghanistan. In other words, the US wants the Taliban to join the Afghan government.

That's a huge concession for a group that has not stopped violent attacks. That's giving legitimacy to terrorism as an instrument of power grab.

Reports say there is a proposal to establish a 'Transitional peace government of Afghanistan',&nbsp;with representatives from both sides.

This will be followed by national elections. It seems like Afghanistan's president does not like this idea.

Two days ago,&nbsp;Ghani said&nbsp;he is ready to talk. But he believes the only way to form a government should be through an election.

"We stand ready to discuss holding free, fair and inclusive elections under the auspices of international community. We can also talk about the date of the elections and reach a conclusion," he said.

"I advise those who go to this or that gate to gain power, is that political power in Afghanistan has a gate, and the key is the vote of the Afghan people."

So Kabul is sticking to its guns, and rightly so. It wants a democratic setup. Why should the Taliban be rewarded with a role in the govt after all that they've done?

What is the guarantee that they will end the attacks?

What explains America's concession? Its desire to exit this war. They turned a whole country into a war laboratory and now, want terrorists to join the government,&nbsp;so that the US can stick to its deadline of withdrawing troops.

Yes, there are no easy options for Joe Biden. His government is caught between a rock and a hard place. But this is a situation of America's making, as much as anybody else's.

The war in Afghanistan is called the forever war. Is India prepared to join it? India has been asked to not fight the war but to help end it. The others on the talking table could be Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, the US, the Afghan government and the Taliban.

The war in Afghanistan is called the forever war. Is India prepared to join it? India has been asked to not fight the war but to help end it. The others on the talking table could be Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, the US, the Afghan government and the Taliban. For four decades now, Afghanistan has been locked in a state of war. A dialogue for peace began last year. People hoped that peace would follow. So far, that hasn't happened. The peace dialogue is stalled. The war is very much on. Violence has only increased. The promise of a ceasefire was never fulfilled. This brings us to the second proposal. Blinken wants a United Nations-led peace conference for a peace deal in Afghanistan. The US secretary of state wants the UN to convene a foreign ministers' meeting. This will have representatives from Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran and India plus the Afghan government, the Taliban and the US. With no peace deal yet, there is a growing threat of a 'spring offensive' by the Taliban. Apparently, they could make rapid military gains once the American troops are gone. The US is now making a big push to restart the dialogue for peace. And Washington wants India's help. It wants regional powers to have a greater say in the process. At the same time, it wants the Taliban to have a seat at the table. That's not all, it wants the Taliban to join the government in Afghanistan. So, what is Joe Biden's plan for peace in Afghanistan? And how far is India prepared to go? Since taking office, Joe Biden and his aides have been conducting a review. They have been assessing the work done by the Trump administration. Over the weekend, Team Biden began taking its first steps towards resuming the dialogue. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote a letter. It was addressed to Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani. A copy of this was shared by a local broadcaster in Afghanistan. This letter offers clues on what America plans to do. The first move will be to accelerate the peace talks. They went on the backburner after the American presidential election. So the dialogue that began between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban will move ahead. But, they won't be the only ones involved. The dialogue will have more players. Blinken believes regional powers "share an abiding common interest in a stable Afghanistan." That's why he wants India involved. Soon after that letter got out, reports said US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, the man leading the negotiations from America, dialled S Jaishankar, India's external affairs minister. While both sides have not said much about what was discussed, It's safe to assume that Afghan peace process came up. Why is this significant? This is a major shift. The Trump administration kept India out. Trump said all India had done was build a library in Afghanistan. He undermined the contribution of regional powers. He was criticised for depending far too much on Pakistan for a peace deal in Afghanistan. The Biden administration is looking to change that. Secretary of State Blinken is quite direct in his letter to the Afghan president. The US wants India to participate in the peace dialogue. New Delhi should welcome the proposal. It's always better to have a say than to observe from the sidelines. Now, the most contentious part of America's plan is this one: An interim power-sharing agreement between the Taliban and the elected leaders of Afghanistan. In other words, the US wants the Taliban to join the Afghan government. That's a huge concession for a group that has not stopped violent attacks. That's giving legitimacy to terrorism as an instrument of power grab. Reports say there is a proposal to establish a 'Transitional peace government of Afghanistan', with representatives from both sides. This will be followed by national elections. It seems like Afghanistan's president does not like this idea. Two days ago, Ghani said he is ready to talk. But he believes the only way to form a government should be through an election. "We stand ready to discuss holding free, fair and inclusive elections under the auspices of international community. We can also talk about the date of the elections and reach a conclusion," he said. "I advise those who go to this or that gate to gain power, is that political power in Afghanistan has a gate, and the key is the vote of the Afghan people." So Kabul is sticking to its guns, and rightly so. It wants a democratic setup. Why should the Taliban be rewarded with a role in the govt after all that they've done? What is the guarantee that they will end the attacks? What explains America's concession? Its desire to exit this war. They turned a whole country into a war laboratory and now, want terrorists to join the government, so that the US can stick to its deadline of withdrawing troops. Yes, there are no easy options for Joe Biden. His government is caught between a rock and a hard place. But this is a situation of America's making, as much as anybody else's.

India asked to lend a hand in Afghanistan

In June 2020, a New York Times report said Russia was secretly offering bounties for US troops in Afghanistan. There have been numerous such reports, accusations and mudslinging. The United States is now looking to exit Afghanistan militarily, aAfter wasting 20 years&nbsp;&nbsp;and a trillion dollars.

Russia does not have a clear roadmap for Afghanistan. But there's something that's clear. America's exit will create a power vacuum in Kabul, one that certain neighbours would be more than happy to exploit.

The only way to check that is by ushering in strong governance in Afghanistan. The US wants India to play a role in ensuring that. As South Asia's biggest player, there is no other country better suited to do so.

India and Afghanistan have a long diplomatic history. The two countries share enormous goodwill, culture and people-to-people contacts.

But India's pitch in Afghanistan may be queered by two countries. Both have their vested interests in Kabul and a common goal to keep India out. These two countries are China and Pakistan.

China wants a slice of every country. Afghanistan is all the more special. It has a geographical proximity to Xinjiang. Afghanistan was once a safe haven for China's Uighur Muslims between 1996 and 2001 when Taliban was in power.

China does not want history to repeat itself. It also wants two other things.

One, to protect its Belt and Road interests in the region, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, especially. It's an approximately 62 billion dollar project. China cannot risk the safety of Gwadar port.

And two, China wants to keep India out of Afghanistan. The only way to ensure all of this is by shaking hands with the Taliban. And China is doing just that.

In the 1990s China was anti-Taliban. Today? Not so much. In 2016, China joined the quadrilateral coordination group. In 2019, China invited Taliban representatives to Beijing. In short, China has embraced the Taliban.

China has also used its cheque books to maintain good ties with the Afghan government. Reports say China provided $70 million in military aid to the Afghan govt between 2016 and 18. Beijing maintains that it wants to work with both the Taliban and the Afghan leadership.

The Taliban has thanked China for its support, by maintaining a silence on the Uighur genocide. So the Taliban's increased legitimacy will be in China's favour. It will also make Pakistan happy. Pakistan and the Taliban are long-standing allies. Islamabad has also been supporting other terror outfits like the Haqqani Network.

Why?

This is Pakistan's way of keeping India out of Afghanistan. And this is where Pakistani and Chinese interests meet. These countries are co-conspiring in Kabul.

There is nothing in it for Afghanistan. In December 2020, 10 Chinese spies were caught in Kabul. A recent example of how China is planting chaos while maintaining a facade of cooperation. China will never let democracy flourish in Afghanistan.

It will also eventually try to debt-trap the country.

China is only waiting for the peace process before it starts pouring in more millions. Now consider all the conspiracy, the careful planning, the backstage deals

Have they queered India's pitch in Afghanistan?

The next question is, how far is India prepared to go? There is no doubt that Afghanistan will become, or rather has become, a flashpoint between India and China.

Back in the 1990s, India and China were together in the anti-Taliban alliance. Today, China has an outreach programme for the Taliban, while India was largely absent from the peace negotiations. That is not to say India has had no role in the country.

India has helped rebuild Afghanistan with roads, dams, a parliament building, a cricket stadium, scholarships, capacity building, and a lot more.

Does it translate into political capital? It certainly creates immense goodwill. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently held talks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. They signed the Shahoot dam agreement. India committed $236 million to build the dam.

Now the Taliban is set to be part of the Afghan government. India faces the difficult question of engaging with a terror group to help a country find peace. It's a turning point. But having a say is better than watching from the sidelines.

In June 2020, a New York Times report said Russia was secretly offering bounties for US troops in Afghanistan. There have been numerous such reports, accusations and mudslinging.

In June 2020, a New York Times report said Russia was secretly offering bounties for US troops in Afghanistan. There have been numerous such reports, accusations and mudslinging. The United States is now looking to exit Afghanistan militarily, aAfter wasting 20 years and a trillion dollars. Russia does not have a clear roadmap for Afghanistan. But there's something that's clear. America's exit will create a power vacuum in Kabul, one that certain neighbours would be more than happy to exploit. The only way to check that is by ushering in strong governance in Afghanistan. The US wants India to play a role in ensuring that. As South Asia's biggest player, there is no other country better suited to do so. India and Afghanistan have a long diplomatic history. The two countries share enormous goodwill, culture and people-to-people contacts. But India's pitch in Afghanistan may be queered by two countries. Both have their vested interests in Kabul and a common goal to keep India out. These two countries are China and Pakistan. China wants a slice of every country. Afghanistan is all the more special. It has a geographical proximity to Xinjiang. Afghanistan was once a safe haven for China's Uighur Muslims between 1996 and 2001 when Taliban was in power. China does not want history to repeat itself. It also wants two other things. One, to protect its Belt and Road interests in the region, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, especially. It's an approximately 62 billion dollar project. China cannot risk the safety of Gwadar port. And two, China wants to keep India out of Afghanistan. The only way to ensure all of this is by shaking hands with the Taliban. And China is doing just that. In the 1990s China was anti-Taliban. Today? Not so much. In 2016, China joined the quadrilateral coordination group. In 2019, China invited Taliban representatives to Beijing. In short, China has embraced the Taliban. China has also used its cheque books to maintain good ties with the Afghan government. Reports say China provided $70 million in military aid to the Afghan govt between 2016 and 18. Beijing maintains that it wants to work with both the Taliban and the Afghan leadership. The Taliban has thanked China for its support, by maintaining a silence on the Uighur genocide. So the Taliban's increased legitimacy will be in China's favour. It will also make Pakistan happy. Pakistan and the Taliban are long-standing allies. Islamabad has also been supporting other terror outfits like the Haqqani Network. Why? This is Pakistan's way of keeping India out of Afghanistan. And this is where Pakistani and Chinese interests meet. These countries are co-conspiring in Kabul. There is nothing in it for Afghanistan. In December 2020, 10 Chinese spies were caught in Kabul. A recent example of how China is planting chaos while maintaining a facade of cooperation. China will never let democracy flourish in Afghanistan. It will also eventually try to debt-trap the country. China is only waiting for the peace process before it starts pouring in more millions. Now consider all the conspiracy, the careful planning, the backstage deals Have they queered India's pitch in Afghanistan? The next question is, how far is India prepared to go? There is no doubt that Afghanistan will become, or rather has become, a flashpoint between India and China. Back in the 1990s, India and China were together in the anti-Taliban alliance. Today, China has an outreach programme for the Taliban, while India was largely absent from the peace negotiations. That is not to say India has had no role in the country. India has helped rebuild Afghanistan with roads, dams, a parliament building, a cricket stadium, scholarships, capacity building, and a lot more. Does it translate into political capital? It certainly creates immense goodwill. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently held talks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. They signed the Shahoot dam agreement. India committed $236 million to build the dam. Now the Taliban is set to be part of the Afghan government. India faces the difficult question of engaging with a terror group to help a country find peace. It's a turning point. But having a say is better than watching from the sidelines.

Why China and Pakistan want to keep India out of Afghanistan

The dawn of 2020 brought new hope for peace in Afghanistan. A chance to end decades of violence, an opportunity to achieve some level of reconciliation.

With this aspiration in mind, the US and Taliban representatives met in Doha on the 29th of February. They signed a landmark deal with two main objectives. The Taliban agreed to not threaten the US or its allies henceforth, and the US agreed to withdraw all of its forces within 14 months. But with a caveat.

"If bad things happen, we'll go back. Let the people know, we'll go back and we'll go back so fast and we'll go back with a force like nobody's ever seen. And I don't think that will be necessary. I hope it's not necessary," said then US president Donald Trump at that time.

The 14-month deadline will expire on the 1st of May. And what both sides have achieved in these 14 months is a rather debatable topic. The negotiations have been marred by several roadblocks.

The proposed negotiations hinge on the prisoner swap. Kabul is required to free up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners in return for up to 1,000 security force captives held by the Taliban. The Taliban has released only 845 captives, while the Afghan govt has released only 4,400, insisting that the remaining 600 are too dangerous and should remain in jail.

The stalemate continues to this day. The promise of ending violence remains unfulfilled.

As of 2020 August, 3,560 Afghan security personnel had been killed in terror attacks and thousands more had been wounded.

And in October 2020, Taliban insurgents along with Islamic State terrorists carried out attacks in 27 locations across Afghanistan, killing 243 people and injuring 339.

Among those dead were 23 Afghan soldiers. The Taliban denies allegations that it is behind these attacks. It instead blames Kabul for launching new operations against insurgent-held areas.

Another deadlock is over the withdrawal of US troops. America is down to 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. The reduced military support is said to be affecting Afghanistan's efforts to roll back militant advances. Decreased airstrikes and shortage of advanced technology have slowed their ground operations.

The Joe Biden administration may have made a blunt new push for peace. But Washington is still in two minds on whether to withdraw the last of its troops by 1st of May. US Secretary of State says there will be no hasty withdrawal of troops.

A stalemate over prisoner swap, no end to violence and no commitments on the withdrawal of troops.

A year since the US-Taliban talks began, the key promises remain unfulfilled. All the peace deal has thrown up is uncertainty on the future of Afghanistan.

The dawn of 2020 brought new hope for peace in Afghanistan. A chance to end decades of violence, an opportunity to achieve some level of reconciliation. With this aspiration in mind, the US and Taliban representatives met in Doha on the 29th of February.

The dawn of 2020 brought new hope for peace in Afghanistan. A chance to end decades of violence, an opportunity to achieve some level of reconciliation. With this aspiration in mind, the US and Taliban representatives met in Doha on the 29th of February. They signed a landmark deal with two main objectives. The Taliban agreed to not threaten the US or its allies henceforth, and the US agreed to withdraw all of its forces within 14 months. But with a caveat. "If bad things happen, we'll go back. Let the people know, we'll go back and we'll go back so fast and we'll go back with a force like nobody's ever seen. And I don't think that will be necessary. I hope it's not necessary," said then US president Donald Trump at that time. The 14-month deadline will expire on the 1st of May. And what both sides have achieved in these 14 months is a rather debatable topic. The negotiations have been marred by several roadblocks. The proposed negotiations hinge on the prisoner swap. Kabul is required to free up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners in return for up to 1,000 security force captives held by the Taliban. The Taliban has released only 845 captives, while the Afghan govt has released only 4,400, insisting that the remaining 600 are too dangerous and should remain in jail. The stalemate continues to this day. The promise of ending violence remains unfulfilled. As of 2020 August, 3,560 Afghan security personnel had been killed in terror attacks and thousands more had been wounded. And in October 2020, Taliban insurgents along with Islamic State terrorists carried out attacks in 27 locations across Afghanistan, killing 243 people and injuring 339. Among those dead were 23 Afghan soldiers. The Taliban denies allegations that it is behind these attacks. It instead blames Kabul for launching new operations against insurgent-held areas. Another deadlock is over the withdrawal of US troops. America is down to 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. The reduced military support is said to be affecting Afghanistan's efforts to roll back militant advances. Decreased airstrikes and shortage of advanced technology have slowed their ground operations. The Joe Biden administration may have made a blunt new push for peace. But Washington is still in two minds on whether to withdraw the last of its troops by 1st of May. US Secretary of State says there will be no hasty withdrawal of troops. A stalemate over prisoner swap, no end to violence and no commitments on the withdrawal of troops. A year since the US-Taliban talks began, the key promises remain unfulfilled. All the peace deal has thrown up is uncertainty on the future of Afghanistan.

Despite peace talks, Afghanistan's future looks uncertain at the moment

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently called for urgent action in Afghanistan to prevent a "spring offensive by the Taliban". Blinken also claimed that the Taliban could make increased "territorial gains" in the country.

On Sunday, the US government said that it is considering all available options on what could be done about 2,500 troops stationed in Afghanistan, adding that the government has made no decisions on the planned exit of US military from Afghanistan by May 1. 
 
TOLOnews published a letter by Blinken to Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, which claimed that the US is "considering the full withdrawal of forces by May 1st as we consider other options".

The letter further said that the United States is currently in pursuit of a high-level diplomatic effort "to move matters more fundamentally and quickly toward a settlement and a permanent and comprehensive cease-fire."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/washington-keen-on-6-country-meet-including-india-on-afghanistan-368737" hreflang="en">Washington keen on 6-country meet including India on Afghanistan</a> 
 
In addition, the letter said that the US is urging the United Nations to call on foreign ministers from Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, and the United States in a bid "to discuss a unified approach to supporting peace in Afghanistan." 
 
In the event of US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Blinken worries that the security situation in the country could worsen by Taliban potentially making "rapid territorial gains".

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/us-afghanistan-envoy-proposes-shake-up-of-afghan-peace-process-report-368601" hreflang="en">US Afghanistan envoy proposes shake-up of Afghan peace process: Report</a> 
 
He also urged Ghani to "understand the urgency of [his] tone". On Saturday, Ghani said that his government was open to holding new elections while highlighting the importance of a new government emerging through the democratic process.

Since US-backed negotiations with the Taliban began last September, violence has increased in the country. According to local officials, the insurgents who were earlier in control of just rural areas are now advancing towards towns and cities.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently called for urgent action in Afghanistan to prevent a "spring offensive by the Taliban". Blinken also claimed that the Taliban could make increased "territorial gains" in the country.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently called for urgent action in Afghanistan to prevent a "spring offensive by the Taliban". Blinken also claimed that the Taliban could make increased "territorial gains" in the country. On Sunday, the US government said that it is considering all available options on what could be done about 2,500 troops stationed in Afghanistan, adding that the government has made no decisions on the planned exit of US military from Afghanistan by May 1. TOLOnews published a letter by Blinken to Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, which claimed that the US is "considering the full withdrawal of forces by May 1st as we consider other options". The letter further said that the United States is currently in pursuit of a high-level diplomatic effort "to move matters more fundamentally and quickly toward a settlement and a permanent and comprehensive cease-fire." Also read: Washington keen on 6-country meet including India on Afghanistan In addition, the letter said that the US is urging the United Nations to call on foreign ministers from Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, and the United States in a bid "to discuss a unified approach to supporting peace in Afghanistan." In the event of US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Blinken worries that the security situation in the country could worsen by Taliban potentially making "rapid territorial gains". Also read: US Afghanistan envoy proposes shake-up of Afghan peace process: Report He also urged Ghani to "understand the urgency of [his] tone". On Saturday, Ghani said that his government was open to holding new elections while highlighting the importance of a new government emerging through the democratic process. Since US-backed negotiations with the Taliban began last September, violence has increased in the country. According to local officials, the insurgents who were earlier in control of just rural areas are now advancing towards towns and cities.

Blinken urges immediate action in Afghanistan, says Taliban could make territorial gains

US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has proposed a shake up of peace process in the country including, interim government and conference of key players, say reports. However, his plans have faced objections, said Reuters quoting sources.&nbsp;

Afghan-born U.S. diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad is on a visit to Kabul, Doha and other regional capitals, his first since U.S. President Joe Biden's administration began reviewing its options for the peace process and as time runs out before a May 1 U.S. troop withdrawal deadline.

As per reports,&nbsp;Khalilzad is trying to build consensus around alternative options with all Afghan sides and key regional players as peace negotiations in Doha is making&nbsp;little progress and violence in Afghanistan is escalating

"(The United States) thinks Doha isn't working and needs impetus and an alternate approach," Reuters quoted a source as saying.

In Kabul, Khalilzad met Abdullah Abdullah, the chief peace envoy, President Ashraf Ghani and other political and civil society leaders, including former President Hamid Karzai.

Three diplomatic sources, two sources on the teams of political leaders who met with Khalilzad and two international sources in Kabul said one of the envoy's main proposals was an interim government arrangement, referred to as a participatory or representative government.

A former Afghan government official familiar with the matter said Khalilzad shared a document detailing the power-sharing proposal and that it revised a paper he circulated in December.

Another proposal was a meeting with a similar format to the 2001 Bonn conference, to involve representatives from a wide range of Afghan parties meeting in person while international agencies and diplomats push them to a solution.

Anti-Taliban leaders met under international auspices in the German city of Bonn after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion ousted the insurgents from power and agreed on a provisional administration and a roadmap for forming a permanent government and writing a new constitution.

&nbsp;"We're considering a number of different ideas that might accelerate the process," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Friday.

"The United States is not making any formal proposals and is continuing to review all relevant options for future force posture - and all means all," a State Department spokesperson said on Saturday. "Ambassador Khalilzad has discussed a range of ways to move the diplomacy forward, nothing more."

(With Reuters inputs)

US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has proposed a shake up of peace process in the country including, interim government and conference of key players, say reports.

US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has proposed a shake up of peace process in the country including, interim government and conference of key players, say reports. However, his plans have faced objections, said Reuters quoting sources. Afghan-born U.S. diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad is on a visit to Kabul, Doha and other regional capitals, his first since U.S. President Joe Biden's administration began reviewing its options for the peace process and as time runs out before a May 1 U.S. troop withdrawal deadline. As per reports, Khalilzad is trying to build consensus around alternative options with all Afghan sides and key regional players as peace negotiations in Doha is making little progress and violence in Afghanistan is escalating "(The United States) thinks Doha isn't working and needs impetus and an alternate approach," Reuters quoted a source as saying. In Kabul, Khalilzad met Abdullah Abdullah, the chief peace envoy, President Ashraf Ghani and other political and civil society leaders, including former President Hamid Karzai. Three diplomatic sources, two sources on the teams of political leaders who met with Khalilzad and two international sources in Kabul said one of the envoy's main proposals was an interim government arrangement, referred to as a participatory or representative government. A former Afghan government official familiar with the matter said Khalilzad shared a document detailing the power-sharing proposal and that it revised a paper he circulated in December. Another proposal was a meeting with a similar format to the 2001 Bonn conference, to involve representatives from a wide range of Afghan parties meeting in person while international agencies and diplomats push them to a solution. Anti-Taliban leaders met under international auspices in the German city of Bonn after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion ousted the insurgents from power and agreed on a provisional administration and a roadmap for forming a permanent government and writing a new constitution. "We're considering a number of different ideas that might accelerate the process," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Friday. "The United States is not making any formal proposals and is continuing to review all relevant options for future force posture - and all means all," a State Department spokesperson said on Saturday. "Ambassador Khalilzad has discussed a range of ways to move the diplomacy forward, nothing more." (With Reuters inputs)

US Afghanistan envoy proposes shake-up of Afghan peace process: Report

In a few days, the world will celebrate International Women's Day. What does this mean for the women of Afghanistan? Fawzia Koofi says women of Afghanistan remain resilient. WION's Palki Sharma brings you an exclusive conversation.

Gravitas: The Taliban tried to kill her, now she is negotiating peace with them

US special envoy to Afghanistan met with the Taliban in Qatar, the insurgents said Saturday.

The special meeting has come in the wake of Taliban intensifying efforts to revive a peace process faced with mounting violence and a&nbsp;US troop withdrawal deadline.

The envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, held talks earlier this week with Afghan leaders in Kabul, including President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chair of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation which oversees the government's talks with the insurgents in Qatar.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Khalilzad's visit marks the first time he has publicaly returned to Qatar since US President Joe Biden took office in January and asked him to stay on in his post.

Taliban spokesman Muhamad Naeem tweeted that Khalilzad and the top US general in Afghanistan met with the insurgents' negotiating team in Doha, including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, late Friday.

"Both sides expressed their commitment to the Doha agreement and discussed its full implementation. Likewise, the current situation of Afghanistan and the rapidity and effectiveness of the Intra-Afghan negotiations were discussed," he wrote.

Speculation is rife over America's future in Afghanistan, after the White House announced plans to review a withdrawal deal brokered by Khalilzad and the Taliban in Doha last year.

Under that agreement, the US is set to withdraw from Afghanistan in May, but a surge in fighting has sparked concerns that a speedy exit may unleash greater chaos as peace talks between the Kabul government and Taliban continue to stall.&nbsp;

The accord states that the US will withdraw all troops from Afghanistan, with the Taliban promising not to allow territory to be used by terrorists -- the original goal of the US invasion following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

US special envoy to Afghanistan met with the Taliban in Qatar, the insurgents said Saturday. The special meeting has come in the wake of Taliban intensifying efforts to revive a peace process faced with mounting violence and a US troop withdrawal deadline.

US special envoy to Afghanistan met with the Taliban in Qatar, the insurgents said Saturday. The special meeting has come in the wake of Taliban intensifying efforts to revive a peace process faced with mounting violence and a US troop withdrawal deadline. The envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, held talks earlier this week with Afghan leaders in Kabul, including President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chair of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation which oversees the government's talks with the insurgents in Qatar. Khalilzad's visit marks the first time he has publicaly returned to Qatar since US President Joe Biden took office in January and asked him to stay on in his post. Taliban spokesman Muhamad Naeem tweeted that Khalilzad and the top US general in Afghanistan met with the insurgents' negotiating team in Doha, including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, late Friday. "Both sides expressed their commitment to the Doha agreement and discussed its full implementation. Likewise, the current situation of Afghanistan and the rapidity and effectiveness of the Intra-Afghan negotiations were discussed," he wrote. Speculation is rife over America's future in Afghanistan, after the White House announced plans to review a withdrawal deal brokered by Khalilzad and the Taliban in Doha last year. Under that agreement, the US is set to withdraw from Afghanistan in May, but a surge in fighting has sparked concerns that a speedy exit may unleash greater chaos as peace talks between the Kabul government and Taliban continue to stall. The accord states that the US will withdraw all troops from Afghanistan, with the Taliban promising not to allow territory to be used by terrorists -- the original goal of the US invasion following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Taliban meets with US envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, in Doha

A female doctor was killed in a bomb blast in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad in what appeared to be another targeted hit, officials said Thursday, just days after three women media workers were gunned down in the area.&nbsp;

Journalists, religious scholars, activists and judges have all been victims of a recent wave of political assassinations across Afghanistan, forcing many into hiding -- with some fleeing the country.

In the latest incident, the doctor was killed after a magnetic bomb was attached to the vehicle she was travelling in, according to a spokesman from the provincial governor’s office. A child was also injured by the explosion.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/afghanistan-taliban-suspect-behind-killing-of-three-female-media-workers-arrested-367585">Afghanistan: Taliban suspect behind killing of three female media workers arrested</a>

“She was commuting in a rickshaw when the bomb went off,” the spokesman told AFP.

Another spokesman from a provincial hospital also confirmed the incident and toll. &nbsp;

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.&nbsp;

The attack comes two days after three female media workers were gunned down in Jalalabad in separate attacks that were just minutes apart.&nbsp;

The local Islamic State group affiliate said its gunmen carried out the killing of what it called "journalists working for one of the media stations loyal to the apostate Afghan government".

Afghan and US officials have blamed the Taliban for the wave of violence, but the group has denied the charges.

The assassinations have been acutely felt by women, whose rights were crushed under the Taliban's five-year rule, including being banned from working.

Intelligence officials have previously linked the renewed threat against female professionals to demands at the peace talks for their rights to be protected.

The attacks come as speculation is rife over America's future in Afghanistan after the administration of President Joe Biden announced plans to review the withdrawal agreement signed with the Taliban last year that paved the way for foreign troops to leave the country by May.

A female doctor was killed in a bomb blast in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad in what appeared to be another targeted hit, officials said Thursday, just days after three women media workers were gunned down in the area.

A female doctor was killed in a bomb blast in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad in what appeared to be another targeted hit, officials said Thursday, just days after three women media workers were gunned down in the area. Journalists, religious scholars, activists and judges have all been victims of a recent wave of political assassinations across Afghanistan, forcing many into hiding -- with some fleeing the country. In the latest incident, the doctor was killed after a magnetic bomb was attached to the vehicle she was travelling in, according to a spokesman from the provincial governor’s office. A child was also injured by the explosion. Also read | Afghanistan: Taliban suspect behind killing of three female media workers arrested “She was commuting in a rickshaw when the bomb went off,” the spokesman told AFP. Another spokesman from a provincial hospital also confirmed the incident and toll. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast. The attack comes two days after three female media workers were gunned down in Jalalabad in separate attacks that were just minutes apart. The local Islamic State group affiliate said its gunmen carried out the killing of what it called "journalists working for one of the media stations loyal to the apostate Afghan government". Afghan and US officials have blamed the Taliban for the wave of violence, but the group has denied the charges. The assassinations have been acutely felt by women, whose rights were crushed under the Taliban's five-year rule, including being banned from working. Intelligence officials have previously linked the renewed threat against female professionals to demands at the peace talks for their rights to be protected. The attacks come as speculation is rife over America's future in Afghanistan after the administration of President Joe Biden announced plans to review the withdrawal agreement signed with the Taliban last year that paved the way for foreign troops to leave the country by May.

Female doctor killed in eastern Afghanistan after murder of media workers

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday arrived in Kabul and held meeting with Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghanistan`s High Council for National Reconciliation. Both leaders discussed Afghan peace process.

"As always pleased to meet HE Zalmay Khalilzad and his accompanying delegation. We discussed the peace process, talks in Doha, the US current review and the steps forward. We reiterated our call for an immediate end to violence and the acceleration of the peace talks," Abdullah tweeted

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
As always pleased to meet HE Zalmay Khalilzad <a href="https://twitter.com/US4AfghanPeace?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@US4AfghanPeace</a> &amp; his accompanying delegation. We discussed the peace process, talks in Doha, the US current review &amp; the steps forward. We reiterated our call for an immediate end to violence &amp; the acceleration of the peace talks. <a href="https://t.co/DC4SK0c3p9">pic.twitter.com/DC4SK0c3p9</a>
— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrabdullahCE/status/1366267112705122307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The meet between the two leaders came just hours after US State Department announced resumption of talks with Taliban

"Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and his team will travel to Kabul, Doha and additional regional capitals," the US State Department had said in a statement on Sunday.

"He (Khalilzad) will resume discussions on the way ahead with the Islamic Republic and Afghan leaders, Taliban representatives and regional countries whose interests are best served by the achievement of just and durable political settlement and permanent and comprehensive ceasefire," the release added.

This is Khalilzad's first visit to Afghanistan after Joe Biden took charge as US president.

He is also expected to visit Islamabad and New Delhi as indicated in the release.The resumption of dialogue with the Taliban under Joe Biden`s administration clearly shows that the US is continuing its Afghan policy on the lines undertaken by former president Donald Trump.

India, which has completed huge developmental and infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, will be watching the US move closely.

According to informed sources, Pakistan is fully backing the Taliban and wants to install them in Kabul, this can pose a major threat to India`s efforts in building democratic and development institutions in the war-torn country. India`s position is clear that any government formation in Kabul should be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned.

(With ANI inputs)

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday arrived in Kabul and held meeting with Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghanistan`s High Council for National Reconciliation.

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday arrived in Kabul and held meeting with Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghanistan`s High Council for National Reconciliation. Both leaders discussed Afghan peace process. "As always pleased to meet HE Zalmay Khalilzad and his accompanying delegation. We discussed the peace process, talks in Doha, the US current review and the steps forward. We reiterated our call for an immediate end to violence and the acceleration of the peace talks," Abdullah tweeted As always pleased to meet HE Zalmay Khalilzad @US4AfghanPeace & his accompanying delegation. We discussed the peace process, talks in Doha, the US current review & the steps forward. We reiterated our call for an immediate end to violence & the acceleration of the peace talks. pic.twitter.com/DC4SK0c3p9 — Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) March 1, 2021 × The meet between the two leaders came just hours after US State Department announced resumption of talks with Taliban "Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and his team will travel to Kabul, Doha and additional regional capitals," the US State Department had said in a statement on Sunday. "He (Khalilzad) will resume discussions on the way ahead with the Islamic Republic and Afghan leaders, Taliban representatives and regional countries whose interests are best served by the achievement of just and durable political settlement and permanent and comprehensive ceasefire," the release added. This is Khalilzad's first visit to Afghanistan after Joe Biden took charge as US president. He is also expected to visit Islamabad and New Delhi as indicated in the release.The resumption of dialogue with the Taliban under Joe Biden`s administration clearly shows that the US is continuing its Afghan policy on the lines undertaken by former president Donald Trump. India, which has completed huge developmental and infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, will be watching the US move closely. According to informed sources, Pakistan is fully backing the Taliban and wants to install them in Kabul, this can pose a major threat to India`s efforts in building democratic and development institutions in the war-torn country. India`s position is clear that any government formation in Kabul should be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. (With ANI inputs)

US Afghanistan special envoy meets Abdullah Abdullah to discuss peace process

At least three family members of an assassinated journalist have reportedly been killed in western Afghanistan. The incident comes in the rising wave of attacks targeting journalists and civic figures.

Afghanistan: Slain journalist's family killed

The Taliban prison is a ruined house, a cave, a filthy basement in an abandoned dwelling, or a village mosque. Beatings or worse are a certainty, and the sentence is indefinite. Food, if there is any, is stale bread and cold beans. A bed is the floor or a dirty carpet. The threat of death — screamed, shouted, sometimes inflicted — is ever-present.

Malik Mohammadi, a calm 60-year-old farmer, watched the Taliban put to death his 32-year-old son Nasrullah, an army officer, in one such prison. Over a period of nine days last year, Nasrullah, an epileptic, was refused medicine by his captors. He was denied food. His father saw blood coming from his mouth, and bruises from beatings. On the 10th day, he died.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghanistan-slain-journalists-family-killed-366738/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“The Taliban beat him,” Mohammadi said quietly. “I watched the killing of my son.”

Such repression is part of the Taliban’s strategy of control in the territories under their rule. While the Afghan government and Taliban negotiators in Qatar fitfully talk about meeting for talks, even as the idea of real peace recedes, the reality is that the insurgents already hold much of the country. An approaching U.S. withdrawal, coupled with a weak Afghan security force scarcely able to defend itself, means the group is likely to maintain this authority and its brutal ways of invoking submission.

One of the Taliban’s most fearsome tools for doing so is a loose network of prisons, an improvised archipelago of mistreatment and suffering, in which the insurgents inflict harsh summary judgment on their fellow Afghans, arbitrarily stopping them on the highway. Mostly, they are looking for soldiers and government workers. The government too has been accused of mistreatment in its prisons, with the United Nations recently finding that nearly one-third of the Afghan army’s prisoners have been tortured.

In the Taliban’s case, the detained are locked up in hidden makeshift prisons, a universe of incarceration in which the hapless charges are often moved, day after day, from ruined house to isolated mosque, and back again — without any sense of how long their detention will last. The approach is anything but discriminating.

“It keeps coming back to me in my sleep,” said Sayed Hiatullah, a 42-year-old shopkeeper in Faizabad. Last year, Hiatullah was falsely accused at a Taliban checkpoint of working for state security. He was imprisoned for 25 days.

“I wake up and scream,” he said. “It was the darkest, most bitter period in my life. I was in shock for six months,” Hiatullah said.

“I relive my memories 100%, every second, every minute,” said Atiqullah Hassanzada, 31, an ex-soldier captured last year on his way to a military hospital in Kabul, speaking on the floor of his home. “I was beaten on the backs of my thighs and on the shoulder,” he said.

Faizabad, a town in Afghanistan’s far north and the capital of Badakhshan province, is inhabited by numerous ex-prisoners of the Taliban, as the insurgents control many of the roads from here to the capital, Kabul. Making that journey means exposure to Taliban checkpoints, and capture.

In Faizabad, the Taliban’s technique is to incarcerate and punish first and ask questions later. There is no judge and no court. Local villagers are forced to provide food. While thousands of Afghans have been detained in this way, there are no statistics. Afghan special forces said they recently freed more than 40 detainees from a Taliban prison in Baghlan province, a not uncommon incident in local news broadcasts. On Monday, 23 more were freed in Kunduz province, after being “extensively tortured” by the Taliban, said the Afghan Ministry of Defense.

The effect of these arbitrary imprisonments is one of terror. “I begged them, crying, to release me,” said Hiatullah. “They would beat me even more.”

“The Taliban stopped the vehicle and arrested me,” said Naqibullah Momand, traveling to his home in Kunduz province last year. “They put their hand on my heart to check my heartbeat,” said the 26-year-old television presenter.

For the Taliban, a rapid beat would have indicated guilt; Momand forced himself to remain calm, but he still ended up spending 29 days locked in a two-room house with 20 others, sleeping on a dirty carpet on the floor, a single lightbulb illuminated all night, before his captors conceded he wasn’t a member of the Afghan military.

Capture is only the beginning of the torment. Local commanders, often very young, have unrestrained control over their prisoners.

“The low-level Taliban members’ behavior is very bad,” said Fazul-Ahmad Aamaj, an elderly, semiofficial mediator in Faizabad, the best-known of about 15 in Badakhshan. People whose relatives have been captured often turn to Aamaj for help. He has secured the release of dozens of the group’s captives, through negotiations involving family, tribal elders and money.

Rahmatullah Danishjo, a university student captured on the road to Kabul, on his way from Wardak province in September 2019, was trussed up and taken to a village mosque. For him and other prisoners, the holy place hardly proved to be a sanctuary.

For local commanders, the mosque makes an ideal jail. “It’s the one central place in the village; in a lot of the villages, the mosque is synonymous with the Taliban,” said Ashley Jackson, co-director of the Centre for the Study of Armed Groups, who has studied Taliban justice extensively. “It’s the way they enforce behavior.”

The Taliban also operate a parallel network of civil courts in which religious scholars judge land disputes and family quarrels. These courts, with their swift judgments, have gained a reputation of sorts for efficiency and are welcomed by many Afghans, particularly compared to the government’s corrupted justice system. Taliban courts also judge murders and perceived moral and religious infractions. Here the emphasis is on “punishment”; the system “relies on beatings and other forms of torture,” Human Rights Watch said in a report last year.

Crimes perceived as political, like working for the Afghan government, or fighting for it, inhabit a different universe. There are no courts for such crimes. Local Taliban commanders have absolute authority “to arrest anyone they deem suspicious,” Human Rights Watch said.

Mohammed Aman, 31, a government engineer, said he was pulled over on the highway from Ghazni to Kabul one afternoon in November, handcuffed and taken to a mosque. “There were 10 or 11 others, handcuffed to a chain, inside the mosque,” he said. “We were praying, early in the morning. They came, and they beat us,” said Danishjo, who was held in another mosque.

“They beat us with sticks for maybe, five minutes. They hit us in the back,” he said. “They were beating us on the hands.”

“One of the Taliban flogged us in the courtyard of the mosque,” said Abdel Qadir Sharifi, 25, who was captured when his military base was overrun. “I believed they were going to kill me.”

Death is the ever-present threat, sometimes inflicted but more often used as a fearsome bargaining chip to gain what the Taliban want: money, a prisoner exchange, or a painfully extracted pledge to renounce government service. The deliberate, often slow, putting to death of captives also occurs.

Summoned along with village elders to negotiate his son’s release in exchange for Taliban prisoners, Mohammadi was able to see his son three times during Nasrullah’s brief captivity.

“They tried to sit him up. But he kept falling down,” Mohammadi recalled. The Taliban shouted at him: “‘Do you see what is happening to your son?’’’

The next day the Taliban moved Nasrullah to a ruined house. By the ninth day, he had lost consciousness. He was filthy, covered in urine and excrement.

His captors allowed Mohammadi to wash him in cold water. But it was too late. “He was dying,” his father said. “The last time I saw him, it was in the yard of the destroyed house,” he said.

After the death of his son, the Taliban tormented him. “Why don’t you cry?” they asked. “I told them, I don’t want to cry in front of the trees and the stones,” said Mohammadi.

“I cried alone,” he said.

His other son, Rohullah Hamid, 35, a lawyer in Kabul, who took part in the failed effort to get his brother released, said: “Every day, dozens of Afghans die because of the Taliban. The Taliban are the enemy of humanity.” 
&nbsp;

The Taliban prison is a ruined house, a cave, a filthy basement in an abandoned dwelling, or a village mosque. Beatings or worse are a certainty, and the sentence is indefinite.

The Taliban prison is a ruined house, a cave, a filthy basement in an abandoned dwelling, or a village mosque. Beatings or worse are a certainty, and the sentence is indefinite. Food, if there is any, is stale bread and cold beans. A bed is the floor or a dirty carpet. The threat of death — screamed, shouted, sometimes inflicted — is ever-present. Malik Mohammadi, a calm 60-year-old farmer, watched the Taliban put to death his 32-year-old son Nasrullah, an army officer, in one such prison. Over a period of nine days last year, Nasrullah, an epileptic, was refused medicine by his captors. He was denied food. His father saw blood coming from his mouth, and bruises from beatings. On the 10th day, he died. Watch | “The Taliban beat him,” Mohammadi said quietly. “I watched the killing of my son.” Such repression is part of the Taliban’s strategy of control in the territories under their rule. While the Afghan government and Taliban negotiators in Qatar fitfully talk about meeting for talks, even as the idea of real peace recedes, the reality is that the insurgents already hold much of the country. An approaching U.S. withdrawal, coupled with a weak Afghan security force scarcely able to defend itself, means the group is likely to maintain this authority and its brutal ways of invoking submission. One of the Taliban’s most fearsome tools for doing so is a loose network of prisons, an improvised archipelago of mistreatment and suffering, in which the insurgents inflict harsh summary judgment on their fellow Afghans, arbitrarily stopping them on the highway. Mostly, they are looking for soldiers and government workers. The government too has been accused of mistreatment in its prisons, with the United Nations recently finding that nearly one-third of the Afghan army’s prisoners have been tortured. In the Taliban’s case, the detained are locked up in hidden makeshift prisons, a universe of incarceration in which the hapless charges are often moved, day after day, from ruined house to isolated mosque, and back again — without any sense of how long their detention will last. The approach is anything but discriminating. “It keeps coming back to me in my sleep,” said Sayed Hiatullah, a 42-year-old shopkeeper in Faizabad. Last year, Hiatullah was falsely accused at a Taliban checkpoint of working for state security. He was imprisoned for 25 days. “I wake up and scream,” he said. “It was the darkest, most bitter period in my life. I was in shock for six months,” Hiatullah said. “I relive my memories 100%, every second, every minute,” said Atiqullah Hassanzada, 31, an ex-soldier captured last year on his way to a military hospital in Kabul, speaking on the floor of his home. “I was beaten on the backs of my thighs and on the shoulder,” he said. Faizabad, a town in Afghanistan’s far north and the capital of Badakhshan province, is inhabited by numerous ex-prisoners of the Taliban, as the insurgents control many of the roads from here to the capital, Kabul. Making that journey means exposure to Taliban checkpoints, and capture. In Faizabad, the Taliban’s technique is to incarcerate and punish first and ask questions later. There is no judge and no court. Local villagers are forced to provide food. While thousands of Afghans have been detained in this way, there are no statistics. Afghan special forces said they recently freed more than 40 detainees from a Taliban prison in Baghlan province, a not uncommon incident in local news broadcasts. On Monday, 23 more were freed in Kunduz province, after being “extensively tortured” by the Taliban, said the Afghan Ministry of Defense. The effect of these arbitrary imprisonments is one of terror. “I begged them, crying, to release me,” said Hiatullah. “They would beat me even more.” “The Taliban stopped the vehicle and arrested me,” said Naqibullah Momand, traveling to his home in Kunduz province last year. “They put their hand on my heart to check my heartbeat,” said the 26-year-old television presenter. For the Taliban, a rapid beat would have indicated guilt; Momand forced himself to remain calm, but he still ended up spending 29 days locked in a two-room house with 20 others, sleeping on a dirty carpet on the floor, a single lightbulb illuminated all night, before his captors conceded he wasn’t a member of the Afghan military. Capture is only the beginning of the torment. Local commanders, often very young, have unrestrained control over their prisoners. “The low-level Taliban members’ behavior is very bad,” said Fazul-Ahmad Aamaj, an elderly, semiofficial mediator in Faizabad, the best-known of about 15 in Badakhshan. People whose relatives have been captured often turn to Aamaj for help. He has secured the release of dozens of the group’s captives, through negotiations involving family, tribal elders and money. Rahmatullah Danishjo, a university student captured on the road to Kabul, on his way from Wardak province in September 2019, was trussed up and taken to a village mosque. For him and other prisoners, the holy place hardly proved to be a sanctuary. For local commanders, the mosque makes an ideal jail. “It’s the one central place in the village; in a lot of the villages, the mosque is synonymous with the Taliban,” said Ashley Jackson, co-director of the Centre for the Study of Armed Groups, who has studied Taliban justice extensively. “It’s the way they enforce behavior.” The Taliban also operate a parallel network of civil courts in which religious scholars judge land disputes and family quarrels. These courts, with their swift judgments, have gained a reputation of sorts for efficiency and are welcomed by many Afghans, particularly compared to the government’s corrupted justice system. Taliban courts also judge murders and perceived moral and religious infractions. Here the emphasis is on “punishment”; the system “relies on beatings and other forms of torture,” Human Rights Watch said in a report last year. Crimes perceived as political, like working for the Afghan government, or fighting for it, inhabit a different universe. There are no courts for such crimes. Local Taliban commanders have absolute authority “to arrest anyone they deem suspicious,” Human Rights Watch said. Mohammed Aman, 31, a government engineer, said he was pulled over on the highway from Ghazni to Kabul one afternoon in November, handcuffed and taken to a mosque. “There were 10 or 11 others, handcuffed to a chain, inside the mosque,” he said. “We were praying, early in the morning. They came, and they beat us,” said Danishjo, who was held in another mosque. “They beat us with sticks for maybe, five minutes. They hit us in the back,” he said. “They were beating us on the hands.” “One of the Taliban flogged us in the courtyard of the mosque,” said Abdel Qadir Sharifi, 25, who was captured when his military base was overrun. “I believed they were going to kill me.” Death is the ever-present threat, sometimes inflicted but more often used as a fearsome bargaining chip to gain what the Taliban want: money, a prisoner exchange, or a painfully extracted pledge to renounce government service. The deliberate, often slow, putting to death of captives also occurs. Summoned along with village elders to negotiate his son’s release in exchange for Taliban prisoners, Mohammadi was able to see his son three times during Nasrullah’s brief captivity. “They tried to sit him up. But he kept falling down,” Mohammadi recalled. The Taliban shouted at him: “‘Do you see what is happening to your son?’’’ The next day the Taliban moved Nasrullah to a ruined house. By the ninth day, he had lost consciousness. He was filthy, covered in urine and excrement. His captors allowed Mohammadi to wash him in cold water. But it was too late. “He was dying,” his father said. “The last time I saw him, it was in the yard of the destroyed house,” he said. After the death of his son, the Taliban tormented him. “Why don’t you cry?” they asked. “I told them, I don’t want to cry in front of the trees and the stones,” said Mohammadi. “I cried alone,” he said. His other son, Rohullah Hamid, 35, a lawyer in Kabul, who took part in the failed effort to get his brother released, said: “Every day, dozens of Afghans die because of the Taliban. The Taliban are the enemy of humanity.”

'I wake up and scream': Secret Taliban prisons terrorize thousands

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reiterated Britain's support to Afghanistan in its fight against the Taliban, as part of the wider North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) alliance. In a phone call from Downing Street in London with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday, Johnson also agreed on the importance of making progress in peace talks to secure a sovereign, democratic and united Afghanistan.

"He [Johnson] reiterated the UK's longstanding support for the Afghan government's fight against the Taliban as part of the NATO coalition,? a Downing Street spokesperson said. In February last year, the US and Taliban signed a peace agreement in Doha, Qatar, which provisioned withdrawal of all American and NATO troops from war-torn Afghanistan by May 1.

''They agreed on the importance of making progress in peace talks to secure a sovereign, democratic and united Afghanistan, and to preserve the gains made by civil society and women and girls,''&nbsp;the Downing Street spokesperson said.

The US-Taliban Peace Agreement also mentioned a pledge from the Taliban to prevent militant forces from operating in its areas, and dialogue between the Taliban and the Afghanistan government. Besides regional matters, Johnson and Ghani discussed the COVID-19 crisis and global efforts around access to vaccines to combat the pandemic.

''The Prime Minister and President Ghani also discussed global efforts to tackle the pandemic and the rollout of vaccines in Afghanistan and the UK,''&nbsp;Downing Street said.

The conversation between the two leaders comes amidst a review of the US-Taliban peace deal by the Joe Biden-led US administration, creating uncertainty over the future course of events.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reiterated Britain's support to Afghanistan in its fight against the Taliban, as part of the wider North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) alliance.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reiterated Britain's support to Afghanistan in its fight against the Taliban, as part of the wider North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) alliance. In a phone call from Downing Street in London with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday, Johnson also agreed on the importance of making progress in peace talks to secure a sovereign, democratic and united Afghanistan. "He [Johnson] reiterated the UK's longstanding support for the Afghan government's fight against the Taliban as part of the NATO coalition,? a Downing Street spokesperson said. In February last year, the US and Taliban signed a peace agreement in Doha, Qatar, which provisioned withdrawal of all American and NATO troops from war-torn Afghanistan by May 1. ''They agreed on the importance of making progress in peace talks to secure a sovereign, democratic and united Afghanistan, and to preserve the gains made by civil society and women and girls,'' the Downing Street spokesperson said. The US-Taliban Peace Agreement also mentioned a pledge from the Taliban to prevent militant forces from operating in its areas, and dialogue between the Taliban and the Afghanistan government. Besides regional matters, Johnson and Ghani discussed the COVID-19 crisis and global efforts around access to vaccines to combat the pandemic. ''The Prime Minister and President Ghani also discussed global efforts to tackle the pandemic and the rollout of vaccines in Afghanistan and the UK,'' Downing Street said. The conversation between the two leaders comes amidst a review of the US-Taliban peace deal by the Joe Biden-led US administration, creating uncertainty over the future course of events.

UK PM reiterates support against Taliban in call with Afghan President

A terrorist commander of Pakistan Taliban was killed in an operation in South Waziristan by security forces, the military said on Friday.Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan`s (TTP) Nooristan alias Hasan Baba, a "high-value target", was killed in an exchange of fire during an operation at a terrorist hideout on Sharwangi, Tiarza in South Waziristan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

According to the statement, he was involved in the killing of more than 50 security forces` personnel since 2007, Dawn reported"The most sought and wanted terrorist was [an] IED expert and master trainer," the press release said further.

Nooristan joined the TTP Baitullah Mehsud group in 2007 and has been involved in several terrorist attacks.He, along with other militants, carried out an attack on a check post in Manra Shawal Dargai in 2008, which resulted in the killing of three Frontier Corps personnel.

South Waziristan and North Waziristan, which are two of the seven former semi-autonomous tribal regions in Pakistan also known as FATA, served as headquarters for local and foreign terrorists until 2017.The army claimed it has cleared the mountainous region of terrorists following several operations to eliminate the TTP, according to Al Jazeera.

Successive operations have pushed the TTP towards neighbouring Afghanistan.Islamabad claims the group has now set up bases across the border to attack Pakistani security forces and civilians.&nbsp;

A terrorist commander of Pakistan Taliban was killed in an operation in South Waziristan by security forces, the military said on Friday.Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan`s (TTP) Nooristan alias Hasan Baba, a "high-value target", was killed in an exchange of fire during an operation at a terrorist hideout on Sharwangi, Tiarza in South Waziristan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

A terrorist commander of Pakistan Taliban was killed in an operation in South Waziristan by security forces, the military said on Friday.Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan`s (TTP) Nooristan alias Hasan Baba, a "high-value target", was killed in an exchange of fire during an operation at a terrorist hideout on Sharwangi, Tiarza in South Waziristan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. According to the statement, he was involved in the killing of more than 50 security forces` personnel since 2007, Dawn reported"The most sought and wanted terrorist was [an] IED expert and master trainer," the press release said further. Nooristan joined the TTP Baitullah Mehsud group in 2007 and has been involved in several terrorist attacks.He, along with other militants, carried out an attack on a check post in Manra Shawal Dargai in 2008, which resulted in the killing of three Frontier Corps personnel. South Waziristan and North Waziristan, which are two of the seven former semi-autonomous tribal regions in Pakistan also known as FATA, served as headquarters for local and foreign terrorists until 2017.The army claimed it has cleared the mountainous region of terrorists following several operations to eliminate the TTP, according to Al Jazeera. Successive operations have pushed the TTP towards neighbouring Afghanistan.Islamabad claims the group has now set up bases across the border to attack Pakistani security forces and civilians.

Pakistan Taliban commander killed in security forces operation in South Waziristan: Report

A number of Pakistani military personnel have been penalised for negligence over the escape of a high-profile former Pakistani Taliban figure from custody, an armed services spokesman said on Wednesday.

Liaqat Ali, the former public face of the militant Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and better known by his pseudonym Ehsanullah Ehsan, escaped last year three years after he handed himself in to the military.

"All those responsible for it were tried and penalised," Major General Babar Iftikhar, spokesman for Pakistan`s Armed Forces, told reporters in the city of Rawalpindi where the army is headquartered.

He said those penalised were military personnel but did not give details including the number or identity of whose who were prosecuted. The military`s media wing denied that any of those penalised had any involvement or collusion with Ehsan during the escape, saying it was a case of negligence.

Ehsan was TTP`s spokesman for nearly a decade, issuing statements and holding press conferences in the group`s stronghold near the Afghan border. He proclaimed TTP`s responsibility for deadly bombings and attacks, including the 2012 shooting of education activist Malala Yousafzai.&nbsp;

On Twitter earlier this month, Yousafzai responded to a threatening tweet directed at her by an account allegedly belonging to Ehsan, asking the military and government how he had been able to escape.

A government statement last year confirming the escape said had said Ehsan evaded custody during a counter-terror operation in which he was accompanying soldiers to find Taliban leaders, as he had agreed to do after his surrender.

Ehsan has issued statements through various Twitter accounts since his escape and has said on social media that he is abroad.

Iftikhar, the military spokesman, said that his tweet this month was via a fake account and that Ehsan`s location was not confirmed, but efforts were underway to recapture him.

A number of Pakistani military personnel have been penalised for negligence over the escape of a high-profile former Pakistani Taliban figure from custody, an armed services spokesman said on Wednesday.

A number of Pakistani military personnel have been penalised for negligence over the escape of a high-profile former Pakistani Taliban figure from custody, an armed services spokesman said on Wednesday. Liaqat Ali, the former public face of the militant Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and better known by his pseudonym Ehsanullah Ehsan, escaped last year three years after he handed himself in to the military. "All those responsible for it were tried and penalised," Major General Babar Iftikhar, spokesman for Pakistan`s Armed Forces, told reporters in the city of Rawalpindi where the army is headquartered. He said those penalised were military personnel but did not give details including the number or identity of whose who were prosecuted. The military`s media wing denied that any of those penalised had any involvement or collusion with Ehsan during the escape, saying it was a case of negligence. Ehsan was TTP`s spokesman for nearly a decade, issuing statements and holding press conferences in the group`s stronghold near the Afghan border. He proclaimed TTP`s responsibility for deadly bombings and attacks, including the 2012 shooting of education activist Malala Yousafzai. On Twitter earlier this month, Yousafzai responded to a threatening tweet directed at her by an account allegedly belonging to Ehsan, asking the military and government how he had been able to escape. A government statement last year confirming the escape said had said Ehsan evaded custody during a counter-terror operation in which he was accompanying soldiers to find Taliban leaders, as he had agreed to do after his surrender. Ehsan has issued statements through various Twitter accounts since his escape and has said on social media that he is abroad. Iftikhar, the military spokesman, said that his tweet this month was via a fake account and that Ehsan`s location was not confirmed, but efforts were underway to recapture him.

Pakistan military personnel punished over escape of Taliban figure

Afghan National Army (ANA) commandos have freed 23 security personnel and a civilian from a Taliban-run prison in northern Kunduz province, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.&nbsp;

The rescue operation by ANA was carried on Wednesday night, reported Xinhua. &nbsp;

"The special operation was launched in Kabuli Qishlaq village of Haqtash district on Wednesday night. No armed clash took place following the raid as the militants manning the Taliban hideout fled before troops' arrival," said Mohammad Omar Haqtash, a local official.&nbsp;

The freed people received medical treatment after they were shifted to an army camp, according to the official.&nbsp;

The Taliban is yet to comment on the ANA rescue operations. More details are awaited. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-sends-investigators-to-look-into-the-massive-fire-at-afghan-iran-border-363816">Afghanistan sends investigators to look into the massive fire at Afghan-Iran border</a>

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) killed 11 Taliban terrorists and wounded another four in the Babur area of Arghandab district, Kandahar province.&nbsp;

The operation conducted by the ANDSF with the help of the air force aimed to clear the Babur area from the Taliban insurgents. The local Babur school, closed for a long period of time due to security reasons, has now reopened to students.&nbsp;

The Taliban controls around two-thirds of Afghan territory, including all districts around the capital. Despite the claims of general support in the controlled lands, the Taliban continue to oppose all attempts at holding democratic elections in the country. &nbsp;

The peace efforts also appeared to be undermined by the Joe Biden administration's ongoing revision of the Taliban-US deal, signed by Donald Trump administration in February 2020.&nbsp;

Afghan National Army (ANA) commandos have freed 23 security personnel and a civilian from a Taliban-run prison in northern Kunduz province, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.

Afghan National Army (ANA) commandos have freed 23 security personnel and a civilian from a Taliban-run prison in northern Kunduz province, reported Pajhwok Afghan News. The rescue operation by ANA was carried on Wednesday night, reported Xinhua. "The special operation was launched in Kabuli Qishlaq village of Haqtash district on Wednesday night. No armed clash took place following the raid as the militants manning the Taliban hideout fled before troops' arrival," said Mohammad Omar Haqtash, a local official. The freed people received medical treatment after they were shifted to an army camp, according to the official. The Taliban is yet to comment on the ANA rescue operations. More details are awaited. Also Read: Afghanistan sends investigators to look into the massive fire at Afghan-Iran border Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) killed 11 Taliban terrorists and wounded another four in the Babur area of Arghandab district, Kandahar province. The operation conducted by the ANDSF with the help of the air force aimed to clear the Babur area from the Taliban insurgents. The local Babur school, closed for a long period of time due to security reasons, has now reopened to students. The Taliban controls around two-thirds of Afghan territory, including all districts around the capital. Despite the claims of general support in the controlled lands, the Taliban continue to oppose all attempts at holding democratic elections in the country. The peace efforts also appeared to be undermined by the Joe Biden administration's ongoing revision of the Taliban-US deal, signed by Donald Trump administration in February 2020.

Afghan Army frees 23 security personnel from Taliban jail in Kunduz

Thirty Taliban terrorists were killed when a bomb exploded during a bomb-making class at a mosque in Afghanistan’s Balkh province.

The 209th Shaheen Corps - part of the Afghan National Army - said in a statement that 30 fighters including six foreign nationals who were expert mine makers, had been killed in an explosion on Saturday morning.

The blast happened at a mosque in the village of Qultaq in the Dowlatabad district of Balkh province.&nbsp;

The bodies of the six foreigners could not be identified because of the extent of the damage caused by the explosion, the army statement revealed.

The terrorists had gathered to learn techniques for making bombs and improvised explosive devices IEDs from the six foreigners, who were reportedly considered experts in the subject.

Violence has surged across Afghanistan even as the Taliban and government engage in peace talks that began in September. The discussions have so far failed to make any breakthrough. 
The new Biden administration in the United States has accused the Taliban of not reducing violence despite signing a deal with Washington last year that stipulated the group do so.

(With inputs from agencies)

Thirty Taliban terrorists were killed when a bomb exploded during a bomb-making class at a mosque in Afghanistan’s Balkh province. The 209th Shaheen Corps - part of the Afghan National Army - said in a statement that 30 fighters including six foreign nationals who were expert mine makers, had been killed in an explosion on Saturday morning.

Thirty Taliban terrorists were killed when a bomb exploded during a bomb-making class at a mosque in Afghanistan’s Balkh province. The 209th Shaheen Corps - part of the Afghan National Army - said in a statement that 30 fighters including six foreign nationals who were expert mine makers, had been killed in an explosion on Saturday morning. The blast happened at a mosque in the village of Qultaq in the Dowlatabad district of Balkh province. The bodies of the six foreigners could not be identified because of the extent of the damage caused by the explosion, the army statement revealed. The terrorists had gathered to learn techniques for making bombs and improvised explosive devices IEDs from the six foreigners, who were reportedly considered experts in the subject. Violence has surged across Afghanistan even as the Taliban and government engage in peace talks that began in September. The discussions have so far failed to make any breakthrough. The new Biden administration in the United States has accused the Taliban of not reducing violence despite signing a deal with Washington last year that stipulated the group do so. (With inputs from agencies)

Bomb-making class turns into blast site, 30 Taliban terrorists killed

The Taliban on Saturday warned NATO against extending war, as the alliance weighs a planned withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"Our message to the upcoming NATO ministerial meeting is that the continuation of occupation and war is neither in your interest nor in the interest of your and our people," the Taliban said in a statement.

"Anyone seeking extension of wars and occupation will be held liable for it just like the previous two decades."

Defence ministers from the Washington-backed allies are to meet next week to discuss whether NATO's 10,000-strong mission -- mostly carrying out support roles -- should stay or go, as Taliban violence rages.

Former US president Donald Trump struck a deal with the Taliban last year under which the United States agreed foreign troops would leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in return for conditions including cutting ties with Al-Qaeda and opening peace talks with the Kabul government.

Joe Biden's administration has said it would review the deal, with the Pentagon accusing the Afghan insurgent group of not meeting their commitment to reduce violence.

The Taliban in turn has accused the US of breaching the agreement and insisted it will continue its "fight and jihad" if foreign troops do not leave by May.

In his final days in office Trump unilaterally reduced US forces in Afghanistan to just 2,500 -- the lowest since the start of the war in 2001.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly insisted that members must decide "together" on the future of their mission and he hopes Biden will coordinate more closely with allies.

The Taliban on Saturday said it was "seriously committed" to the US deal,&nbsp;claiming it had "significantly decreased the level of operations".

(with inputs from agencies)

The Taliban on Saturday warned NATO against extending war, as the alliance weighs a planned withdrawal from Afghanistan. "Our message to the upcoming NATO ministerial meeting is that the continuation of occupation and war is neither in your interest nor in the interest of your and our people," the Taliban said in a statement.

The Taliban on Saturday warned NATO against extending war, as the alliance weighs a planned withdrawal from Afghanistan. "Our message to the upcoming NATO ministerial meeting is that the continuation of occupation and war is neither in your interest nor in the interest of your and our people," the Taliban said in a statement. "Anyone seeking extension of wars and occupation will be held liable for it just like the previous two decades." Defence ministers from the Washington-backed allies are to meet next week to discuss whether NATO's 10,000-strong mission -- mostly carrying out support roles -- should stay or go, as Taliban violence rages. Former US president Donald Trump struck a deal with the Taliban last year under which the United States agreed foreign troops would leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in return for conditions including cutting ties with Al-Qaeda and opening peace talks with the Kabul government. Joe Biden's administration has said it would review the deal, with the Pentagon accusing the Afghan insurgent group of not meeting their commitment to reduce violence. The Taliban in turn has accused the US of breaching the agreement and insisted it will continue its "fight and jihad" if foreign troops do not leave by May. In his final days in office Trump unilaterally reduced US forces in Afghanistan to just 2,500 -- the lowest since the start of the war in 2001. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly insisted that members must decide "together" on the future of their mission and he hopes Biden will coordinate more closely with allies. The Taliban on Saturday said it was "seriously committed" to the US deal, claiming it had "significantly decreased the level of operations". (with inputs from agencies)

Taliban warns US-led NATO forces to not extend ‘occupation’

An attack carried out by Taliban terrorists claimed lives of 16 Afghanistan securitymen and injure two others. The attack took place in Tap-e-Akhtar area in Kunduz province.

Rabbani Rabbani, member of the provincial council in Kunduz said that two security force members when taken hostage.

More details on the attack are not available so far. The attack comes amidst a sharp increase in violence in the country despite the ongoing efforts for peace.

(With ANI inputs)

An attack carried out by Taliban terrorists claimed lives of 16 Afghanistan securitymen and injure two others. The attack took place in Tap-e-Akhtar area in Kunduz province.

An attack carried out by Taliban terrorists claimed lives of 16 Afghanistan securitymen and injure two others. The attack took place in Tap-e-Akhtar area in Kunduz province. Rabbani Rabbani, member of the provincial council in Kunduz said that two security force members when taken hostage. More details on the attack are not available so far. The attack comes amidst a sharp increase in violence in the country despite the ongoing efforts for peace. (With ANI inputs)

16 Afghan security force members killed in Taliban attack

Half of Afghans need humanitarian aid but rising violence is preventing deliveries, a senior European Union humanitarian official said on Wednesday (February 3), reiterating calls for a ceasefire between the Afghan government and the insurgent Taliban.

Half of Afghans need humanitarian aid as violence rises - EU Commissioner

A member of the Afghan government's peace negotiating team has warned the Taliban they must resume talks. It said the government could recall the team before a deal is reached in case the peace talks are not resumed soon in Qatar.

Government negotiator Rasul Talib said in a news conference the team was waiting for the return of the Taliban leadership to Doha, where a second round of peace talks began this month but have made little progress. He asked the Taliban to return to the negotiating table.

The Taliban leadership has recently been in Iran and Russia for discussions on the negotiations. Also, new US President Joe Biden's administration has said it plans to review the peace agreement signed last February between the US and the Taliban.

The Pentagon said last week that the Taliban's refusal to meet commitments to reduce violence in Afghanistan is raising questions about whether all US troops will be able to leave by May as required under the peace deal.

This came after the Pentagon announced in mid-January that the US military has met its goal of reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan to about 2,500.

Talib, to this end, has asked the new US administration to withdraw its forces in a way that will prevent a security vacuum in the country and prevent the possibility of more militant attacks in Afghanistan and against the US and other countries.

A member of the Afghan government's peace negotiating team has warned the Taliban they must resume talks. It said the government could recall the team before a deal is reached in case the peace talks are not resumed soon in Qatar.

A member of the Afghan government's peace negotiating team has warned the Taliban they must resume talks. It said the government could recall the team before a deal is reached in case the peace talks are not resumed soon in Qatar. Government negotiator Rasul Talib said in a news conference the team was waiting for the return of the Taliban leadership to Doha, where a second round of peace talks began this month but have made little progress. He asked the Taliban to return to the negotiating table. The Taliban leadership has recently been in Iran and Russia for discussions on the negotiations. Also, new US President Joe Biden's administration has said it plans to review the peace agreement signed last February between the US and the Taliban. The Pentagon said last week that the Taliban's refusal to meet commitments to reduce violence in Afghanistan is raising questions about whether all US troops will be able to leave by May as required under the peace deal. This came after the Pentagon announced in mid-January that the US military has met its goal of reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan to about 2,500. Talib, to this end, has asked the new US administration to withdraw its forces in a way that will prevent a security vacuum in the country and prevent the possibility of more militant attacks in Afghanistan and against the US and other countries.

Afghan peace negotiating team warns Taliban it must resume talks

Peace talks between the Taliban and the government in Kabul have hit multiple roadblocks. With US troops withdrawing and likely to withdraw more by May 2021, the minority Hazara community in Afghanistan is extremely apprehensive about its future.

Hazaras fear for the future as foreign troops exit Afghanistan

Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States’s negotiator who brokered a deal with Afghanistan’s Taliban, has been asked to stay in his post under President Joe Biden.

Zalmay khalilzad told to continue with Afghan peace talks

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